STAMFORD, Conn. – NBC Sports Gold’s “Snow Pass” returns today, giving fans access to live and on-demand domestic and international competitions of seven Olympic winter sports from October 2019 through March 2020. “Snow Pass” will feature an unprecedented 900 hours – including nearly 100 exclusive hours – of coverage of FIS alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, freestyle skiing, snowboarding, nordic combined, ski jumping, and biathlon events. The 2019-20 “Snow Pass” is available for purchase now for $69.99 by visiting NBCSportsGold.com.

A complement to the hundreds of hours of Olympic winter sport programming airing across NBC, NBCSN, Olympic Channel: Home of Team USA, and their respective digital platforms, “Snow Pass” includes every remaining stop of the World Cup season for each of the seven sports, including exclusive live and on-demand coverage of many alpine skiing events, beginning Oct. 26. Details regarding NBC Sports’ World Cup TV coverage will be announced in the near future.

U.S. Olympic gold medalists Mikaela Shiffrin and Ted Ligety, as well as Alice McKennis and Jackie Wiles - who will both be returning to competition after sitting out the 2019 season - and Steven Nyman, Travis Ganong, Bryce Bennett and Tommy Ford will headline the U.S. Alpine Ski Team in 2019-20. Shiffrin won gold in giant slalom at the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics and has three Olympic medals to her name. On the World Cup circuit last year, she was the first athlete to ever win 17 races during a season, breaking the previous record of 14, and now holds 60 career World Cup victories, fifth-most all time.   

Headlining the 2019-20 U.S. Snowboard Team are PyeongChang Olympic gold medalists Jamie Anderson and Red Gerard, as well as Maddie Mastro and Chris Corning. Representing the U.S. Freeski Team are PyeongChang Olympic medalists Brita Sigourney, Alex Ferreira, and Nick Goepper as well as Alex Hall, Julia Krass, and Maggie Voisin.

NBC Sports Gold, NBC Sports Digital’s direct-to-consumer live streaming product, holds the exclusive rights to all FIS events held in Austria, and will stream the first FIS Alpine Skiing World Cup races of the 2019-20 season from Sölden, Austria, on “Snow Pass” on Oct. 26-27, where Mikaela Shiffrin is expected to make her season debut.

NBC Sports’ 2019-20 “Snow Pass” schedule includes events in Killington, Vt. (Nov. 30 – Dec. 1); Atalanta, GA (Dec. 20 – 21), Deer Valley, Utah (Feb. 6 – 8); Oslo, Norway (Mar. 7 – 8); Are, Sweden (Mar. 13 – 14); and Minneapolis, Minn. (Mar. 17). The Hahnenkamm downhill race from Kitzbühel, Austria on January 24 is exclusive to “Snow Pass” subscribers.

NBC Sports Gold is available on Apple iOS, Android, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast, Roku and online at NBCSportsGold.com. NBC Sports Gold is powered by Playmaker Media, NBC Sports Digital’s technology service which provides end-to-end support for companies in need of best-in-class live streaming and VOD solutions. Click here for more information. 

Following is the schedule for NBC Sports Gold’s 2019-20 “Snow Pass” (organized by sport):

Schedules are subject to change.

ABOUT NBC SPORTS GOLD
NBC Sports Gold is NBC Sports’ direct-to-consumer live streaming product that provides sports fans with access to exclusive premium sports events and content, live and on-demand, at an affordable price. Launched in 2016 with a single cycling product, NBC Sports Gold currently offers 17 individual sports “passes” – twelve domestic (PGA TOUR LIVE, Premier League, Premier League Match Day, INDYCAR, Cycling, Track & Field, Premier Lacrosse League, Speed Skating, Rugby, Rugby World Cup, Supercross, and Snow, consisting of seven Olympic winter sports); two regional (Blazers and Philly); one combination (Supercross and Pro Motocross), two domestic and international (Figure Skating and Pro Motocross); and one international-only (Notre Dame Football). Find NBC Sports Gold in the NBC Sports app available in the U.S. on Apple iOS & tvOS, Android, Android TV, Amazon Fire TV, Roku, Chromecast and NBCSportsGold.com, and also on Xfinity X1 and Xfinity Flex.

Release courtesy of NBC.

Laurenne Ross has announced that she will sit out the 2019-20 season to rehab a left knee injury sustained during a warm-up run prior to her downhill training run at the 2019 FIS Ski World Championships in Are, Sweden. 

Laurenne, who suffered a severe knee injury at U.S. Alpine Championships late in the 2017 season, worked tirelessly to make a comeback in time to qualify for the 2018 Olympic Team. She was a part of the fastest downhill team in the world in 2018. She struggled to find her groove early in the 2018-19 season, but had made considerable steps forward in the month of January, scoring inside of the points in every single start from the new year to World Championships - including three top-15 results. 

She has been working hard in the gym to strengthen her body and has been doing all of the things she loves - from riding her bike and climbing to creating art and music - in order to strengthen her mind as well. Through U.S. Ski & Snowboard's Athlete Career & Education (ACE) connections, she recently attended Dartmouth's Tuck Next Step program, a general management program for athletes and veterans to hone their business acumen and apply the valuable skills they’ve gained in their fields to the world of business as they begin the next step of their careers. 

Laurenne and Land Rover U.S. Alpine Ski Team teammate/boyfriend Tommy Ford recently took over the U.S. Ski & Snowboard Instagram story to give fans some insight into a day in their lives in the gym and in nature. She will look to return healthy - in mind and body - to competition for the 2020-21 season, where the highlight will be World Championships in Cortina d'Ampezzo, ITA - a favorite venue of Laurenne and her fellow women's alpine speed teammates. 

Laurenne shared her thoughts in an Instagram post on Wednesday: 

Since my crash at World Championships this February, I've been relentlessly debating whether or not to continue ski racing. After so many crashes and serious injuries, it doesn't seem like the "smart" way to move forward. I cherish my health and want to be able to ski, hike, and ride my bike well into my old age....and this last crash made me question whether that would be possible. If I am to continue life as a ski racer, I would be inherently taking big risks that may not allow me to maintain my health in a sustainable way. Especially after so many concussions, I've recently felt that the easiest and safest path to living the life that I want is down one that does not subject my body to the injuries it inevitably endures through ski racing.

But I'm not one to take the easy or safe route. And ski racing is just too dang fun. So after going back and forth, weighing my options and contemplating my future, I've decided to keep skiing.

I'm working hard on my recovery, but am still not ready to ski. My knee has been doing well and responding great to rehab, but I've resolved to take this recovery slower than my last one (as I was rushing back for the Olympic season). I want to do it right: make sure I'm 100% ready when I get back on snow. 100% strong, 100% healthy -- in body and in mind. I'm hoping to get back on snow sometime in the next few months, but that won't give me enough time to properly prepare for this upcoming winter racing season. So I'm going to take this winter off to regain my strength and prepare for the 2020-2021 season.

I've been missing skiing a lot lately, especially while my team has been down in Chile training. I miss the mountains, I miss the snow, I miss the speed and the rush and the feeling I get while racing down a course. I'm going to have a tough time watching my teammates and friends race all winter, while I can't be out there. But I know, deep down, this is the best decision for me. I need more time, so I'm going to take it.

Thank you all so much for your support on this journey! I'm incredibly grateful to have so many wonderful people in my life, and could not do what I've done without you all 💜💙❤️

Want to learn more about Laurenne?
Follow her journey on Instagram and Facebook. 
 

The U.S. Revolution Tour will continue its tradition of serving as a critical stepping stone for freeski and snowboard halfpipe, slopestyle, and big air athletes during the 2019-20 season. The Rev Tour will host three tour stops at Copper Mountain, Colo, Mammoth Mountain, Calif., and Woodward Park City, Utah. 

This season will kick off with new upgrades to the grassroots level including the launch of The Futures Tour in partnership with USASA to serve as the sole event entry point for both freeskiing and snowboarding events, as well as new sanctioning for the Rev Tour itself. In 2015, the Rev Tour introduced big air competition ahead of the 2018 Winter Games in Pyeongchang, where snowboarding big air made its Olympic debut. Four years later, organizers are proud to announce that both snowboard and freeski big air will be sanctioned as FIS Nor-Am events for the first time making FIS points available in all Rev Tour competitions. 

“The Rev Tour is an integral piece to the competitive freeski and snowboard pipeline and has always served as a launchpad for athletes by providing world-class venues to showcase their skills,” said U.S. Ski & Snowboard Event Manager Sarah Welliver. “We are excited to add value to the tour this season by providing stand-alone big air competitions for freeskiers and snowboarders giving them the opportunity to grab valuable Nor-Am points.”

In addition to the increased sanctioning to Rev Tour competition, the inclusion of Woodward Park City signifies the continued dedication to working with likeminded partners that share the values of fun, safety, and progression. Woodward Park City’s Mountain Park will offer a network of terrain feature zones that offer a fully balanced variety of on-mountain experiences – from Start Parks to Peace Park. Woodward Mountain Parks start with base area learning zones and gradually progress in size and difficulty culminating in best-in-class terrain parks and elite athlete training facilities. The Rev Tour’s association with the best terrain parks and progression based facilities, like Woodward and Mammoth Mountain’s Unbound Terrain Park, introduces athletes to professional level facilities at a young age and sets them up for the transition to the highest level of competition. 

The Rev Tour is focussed on athletes 13-19 years of age and awards top athletes an invite to compete in the U.S. Grand Prix, Junior Worlds, USASA Nationals, and participate in Project Gold camps. Young skiers and riders looking to participate in the 2019-20 Rev Tour must be pre-qualified through the published event criteria. See below for more information. 

Woodward Park City Winter Sneak Peek

ELIGIBILITY 
Athletes under the age of 13 are not eligible to compete. Athletes must hold a current U.S. Ski & Snowboard competitor membership and FIS license.

CRITERIA
Click here for the prequalified athlete list and criteria.

SCHEDULE
Copper Mountain, Colo.
Dec. 16-21, 2019
Halfpipe

Mammoth Mountain, Calif. 
Feb. 4-9, 2020
Slopestyle, Halfpipe, and Big Air

Woodward Park City, Utah
Mar. 1-6, 2020
Slopestyle and Big Air
 

U.S. Ski & Snowboard has partnered with Mountain Towns 2030 (MT2030) to help mountain towns commit to ambitious carbon reduction goals and implement solutions by 2030. The inaugural Net-Zero Summit is the kick-off event for MT2030 and will be held on October 2-4, 2019 in beautiful Park City, Utah.

“U.S. Ski & Snowboard is in the process of quantifying our carbon footprint, which is the first step in ultimately making broad goals down the line,” said U.S. Ski & Snowboard President and CEO Tiger Shaw. “We are exploring how we can take our sustainability efforts to the next level, participating in this conference to see what other towns and companies are doing is key for us. We are excited to be a part of this important conversation and look forward to working with our community in implementing meaningful solutions.”

“We formed Mountain Towns 2030 because we strongly believe mountain towns have the power to make a global impact on climate change,” said Park City Mayor Andy Beerman. “As with any community initiative, the support from local organizations and nonprofits are a big reason we can set ambitious goals and achieve them. We could not be more pleased to have U.S. Ski & Snowboard partner and lead the way with us.”

Keynote speakers include renowned conservationist and United Nations Messenger of Peace Jane Goodall, and environmentalist Paul Hawken from Project Drawdown. The speaker lineup also includes Utah State University Professor Robert Davies, Rocky Mountain Power CEO Gary Hoogeveen, Park City Mayor Andy Beerman, clean energy impact investors, leaders from non-profit organizations and many more.

Following the summit, MT2030 will take the commitments made at this summit and put them into action by connecting the communities, sharing best practices, and using the collective voice of our coalition of mountain towns to encourage other municipalities across the globe to take action. Over 30 mountain towns will be represented at the Net Zero Summit.

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About Mountain Towns 2030
Mountain Towns 2030 (MT2030) is a coalition of mountain towns that have committed to ambitious carbon reduction goals by 2030. The inaugural Net Zero Summit is the kick-off event for MT2030 and will be held on October 2-4, 2019 in Park City, Utah.  More information about Mountain Towns 2030 and the Net Zero Summit can be found at www.mt2030.org.

The sense of urgency around 2030 continues to escalate. The world’s climate scientists agree—to control global warming at 1.5 degrees, the earth needs drastic reductions in carbon emissions by 2030. Communities need to identify and act on effective solutions immediately.

About U.S. Ski & Snowboard
U.S. Ski & Snowboard is the Olympic National Governing Body (NGB) of ski and snowboard sports in the USA, based in Park City, Utah. Tracing its roots directly back to 1905, the organization represents nearly 200 elite skiers and snowboarders in 2019, competing in seven teams; alpine, cross country, freeski, freestyle, snowboard, nordic combined and ski jumping. In addition to the elite teams, U.S. Ski & Snowboard also provides leadership and direction for tens of thousands of young skiers and snowboarders across the USA, encouraging and supporting them in achieving excellence. By empowering national teams, clubs, coaches, parents, officials, volunteers and fans, U.S. Ski & Snowboard is committed to the progression of its sports, athlete success and the value of team. For more information, visit www.usskiandsnowboard.org 

The world may know her as Lindsey Vonn, but the Minnesota community that watched her grow into one of the greatest ski racers in history still remembers little Lindsey Caroline Kildow climbing up Buck Hill’s simple rope tow. Vonn, the daughter of a local ski racer Alan Kildow, got her own racing start at the Burnsville ski area at a young age. Patrons remember seeing her soaring down the hill when she was only 2 years old, and just five years later she began riding up the rope that will now bear her name.

On September 23rd, at her home hill of Buck Hill, in Burnsville, Minn., Lindsey's ascent to the top of her sport was recognized formally, with the official naming of "Kildow's Climb" rope tow. "All of us at Buck Hill are very happy and excited to honor Lindsey by renaming our lift on the race training hill in her name," said Dave Solner, owner of Buck Hill.

September 23 was also declared “Lindsey Vonn Day” in Burnsville, Minn.

"Obviously being from Buck is not the most likely of paths to become Olympic downhill champion, but I think I proved that anything is possible" said Vonn at the ceremony. "So, for all of you kids that are still racing here, just keep believing in yourself and anything is possible. And listen to Erich (Sailer), even though he's not always around anymore, but he's probably still yelling from somewhere. I wanted to name the rope tow after my family. My grandfather was the one who taught us how to ski. He built a rope tow in Wisconsin, and started my dad skiing, and the whole family. Then my dad taught me, and Erich taught my father and taught me. Kildow is my family name, and I wanted my family name to stay here at Buck, so 'Kildow's Climb' is here to show you that anything's possible."

Vonn finished her speech by encouraging the young ones in the crowd to follow in her footsteps, "So, keep the Buck name alive, and hope to see you guys in the Olympics someday."

Under the guidance of Erich Sailer, legendary ski racing coach and founder of the Buck Hill Ski Racing Team, who has produced some of the world’s most successful skiers, Vonn started on a path towards international fame, medals, and awards.

Highlights of Vonn's:

• Four World Cup titles (2008, 2009, 2010, 2012)

• 82 World Cup victories (more than any other female ski racer in the sport's history)

• The gold medal in downhill at the 2010 Winter Olympics

With her trademark grit, courage, and determination, Vonn has inspired a whole new generation of young athletes who now hope to climb to the top in her footsteps.

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About Buck Hill
Buck Hill is the place to be if you want to have fun outside any time of the year. Take advantage of our year-round offerings from skiing and snowboarding to mountain biking, camps, development teams, and live music! Whether you’re training in downhill, or gaining speed while tubing, Buck Hill is the place to be Outside Yourself.

Release courtesy of Buck Hill

It’s been three years since the women’s speed team has traveled to longtime U.S. Ski & Snowboard training site nestled in the Andes, at Ski Portillo, Chile. Though snowfall in recent years has been a challenge, the women’s speed team were excited to travel back to the oldest ski area in South America. Two athletes in particular - Alice Mckennis (New Castle, Colo.) and Jackie Wiles (Portland, Ore.) - were looking forward to strapping on the downhill boards and getting back into speed action. 

Due to a lack of snowfall that caused many ski areas surrounding northern Chile to close early, the men’s speed team relocated to La Parva, Chile and then further south to Nevados de Chillán, Chile. However, since Portillo upgraded their snowmaking system, head women’s alpine coach Chip White decided to give it a shot. And, “in hindsight,” White reflected, “we definitely made the right decision, and it was the perfect place for Alice McKennis and Jackie Wiles to do their return to gate training. The snow was clean, no rocks, and hard like winter snow.” Portillo did not disappoint. 

Joining McKennis and Wiles in return to gate training was tech teammate Galena Wardle (Aspen, Colo.), and a healthy and stronger-than-ever Alice Merryweather (Hingham, Mass.) rounded out the squad. “We started out slowly with a skills and drills, then graduated to brush gates doing a GS progression,” White explained. “The progress was so positive and the return to training athletes felt so good we were able to graduate into limited full gates. The coaches and the new team physio, Torey Anderson, monitored the volume closely, and were able to put together a solid plan that allowed the group to exceed their expectations. 

“With Alice (McKennis) and Jackie not skiing or training for such a long time this was extremely exciting for the athletes and staff,” White exclaimed. “With calculated rest days and limited volume to start, the ladies were chomping at the bit for more. This was extremely motivating for the staff, knowing that U.S. women’s speed was coming back! We had to hold them back a bit but that is what you want in true thoroughbreds. As the camp continued we were able to start running some super-G also with progression in mind, again we were all amazed as to how well the girls responded and did. Thanks to constant feedback from our new PT, Torey, the ladies were handling the load and progression well - so well in fact that by the end of the camp we had Alice and Jackie running short length super-G courses on downhill skis. This was a very uplifting camp for the Alice and Jackie’s return to training”

Although McKennis felt uncertain the first few days in brush gates, she quickly realized she was able to really try to send it and push hard in super-G/downhill the last few days of their two-week camp in Portillo. “I couldn’t be more thrilled with the progress I made in Portillo!” McKennis reflected. “I truly feel like I have shot at this sport again and the ability to be successful, which was something I doubted for a long time.” The confidence both McKennis and Wiles gained in Portillo will allow them to push even harder and look for more speed in their second Chile camp, in Corralco, Chile in early-mid October. 

“My body feels really good, better than I expected and I’m very grateful for that,” noted McKennis. “Getting to this point where you feel like you really have a chance again reminds me of how much work it took not only from myself by from so many of those around me - doctors, physical therapists, coaches, family and friends so I want to say thank you to them for all the support through this process. I’m not “there” yet but am confident by the time Lake Louise rolls around I’ll be feeling sassy, confident and ready to get sendy!”

Wiles, who tore her ACL, MCL, LCL, POL, lateral Meniscus, tib/fib joint, and broke her fibula with perennial nerve damage in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany prior to the Olympics in 2018, wrote on Instagram, "Finally back on DH skis 17 months later and starting to feel like a racer again! Thanks Ski Portillo for the incredible training!" It's natural for injured athletes to to have some uncertainty returning after such a long time away, but Wiles took it all in stride.

"Getting back on snow has been the most amazing feeling in the world," Wiles commented. "I had some uncertainty returning after such a long time away from the sport especially with a totally new reconstructed knee. Once I took my first run, immediately I was back in my happy place and all the hard word had paid off. I still have a couple markers to hit but I’m on my way to be back racing next season and I can’t wait!"

Additionally, White noted that Wardle is returning to snow and made great gains in slalom and giant slalom both, and Merryweather’s early season training has been nothing short of impressive. “One of the bright stars was Alice Merryweather’s constant drive to rise to the next level when she starts the WC season,” said White. “She’s stronger than ever and skiing very confident and fast. If Thin Lizzy were to write another song it might be titled ‘The Girls are Back in Town.’ We can’t wait for the return of Breezy Johnson (Jackson Hole, Wyo.) and Laurenne Ross (Bend, Ore.), when that happens, WATCH OUT, WORLD!” 

Up next for the women’s speed team is a two-week training camp down in Corralco, Chile, followed by their final prep period camp at the U.S. Ski Team Speed Center at Copper Mountain, Colorado in mid-late November before the FIS Ski World Cup speed opener at Lake Louise, Canada on December 6-8. 
 

U.S. Ski & Snowboard and USASA continue their fruitful relationship with major improvements to the event pipeline. USASA will now serve as the sole event entry point for both freeskiing and snowboarding events. 

This vastly improves the clarity of the layout in the United States and makes it easier to access grassroots competitions through USASA’s 31 regional series and 500-event network. Highlighting this shift, USASA will also take on a new role in the running of "The Futures Tour" for the 2019-20 competition season.

The Futures Tour will consist of six regional FIS/USASA sanctioned slopestyle and halfpipe events across the nation that will offer an improved and expanded athlete development pipeline for young skiers and riders. The Futures Tour registration links will be available on Nov 1 at usasa.org. To create synergy in the pipeline, the top three athletes from the 2019 USASA National Championships will hold secured positions in their respective disciplines. Regional athletes will enjoy a two-week priority registration period where they can sign up for events in their area. After the regional priority registration period closes registration will be available to athletes from all regions. 

“We are looking forward to working with U.S. Ski & Snowboard to be able to provide this stepping stone to the Rev Tour,” said USASA Executive Director Mike Mallon. “These events will showcase some of our premier USASA Series and resort partners, and make it easier for young athletes to test the waters at FIS level competitions.”

These new events will take place across four of the five USASA regions. There will be two in the Rockies and New England and one each in the Western and Central. The increased availability of FIS sanctioned grassroots competition will result in reduced travel costs and decreased barriers to entry for young athletes looking to progress to the next level in their sport. The addition of The Futures Tour is by no means a complete re-working of the athlete development pipeline, but rather fine-tuning of a system that has been extremely successful to this point. U.S. Snowboard Pro Team member and Olympic bronze medalist Arielle Gold could not agree more.

“I think that one of the biggest contributions of USASA is to ensure that young athletes of the future have a platform to compete, and can see a pathway to becoming a professional snowboarder,” said Gold. “USASA provides the foundation necessary for kids to start competing on the tour, and continue progressing through the proverbial ladder in competitive snowboarding including the USASA Nationals, Revolution Tours, Grand Prix, World Cups, and finally the Olympics. I absolutely would not be where I am today without having competed in USASA.”

Entry-level athletes participating in FIS/USASA sanctioned Futures Tour events will have a clear pathway to the USASA Nationals and the FIS Nor-Am Rev Tour events. As an athlete moves from the Futures Tour to the Rev Tour anything is possible including invites to the U.S. Grand Prix World Cup events. At this point the door is wide open for private competition invitations from events like the X Games, Dew Tour, and the Burton U.S. Open of snowboarding. If history is any representation, this tier of competition also includes U.S. Olympic Team qualification events. The pathway to the top of the freeski and snowboard competition ladder is now as transparent as ever.

Together, U.S. Ski & Snowboard and USASA look forward to another great year of fun and fair competition as well as facilitating the competitive journey for all of snowboarding and freeskiing in the United States. See below for more information and stay tuned for more detailed information about The Futures Tour as well as the U.S. Ski & Snowboard Rev Tour Nor-Am events.

Renew Your USASA Membership Today
The Futures Tour Event Page
The Futures Tour FAQ
 

PARK CITY, UTAH – Land Rover North America and U.S. Ski & Snowboard today announced that Land Rover is the new Official Vehicle Partner of the Olympic National Governing Body (NGB) of ski and snowboard sports in the USA. The multi-year partnership also names Land Rover as the title sponsor of the Land Rover U.S. Alpine Ski Team, the Land Rover U.S. Grand Prix series, and presenting sponsor of the “Visa Big Air Presented by Land Rover” events.

“We are very excited to welcome Land Rover as a partner into the U.S. Ski & Snowboard family,” said Tiger Shaw, U.S. Ski & Snowboard’s President, and CEO. “Land Rover represents the spirit, drive, and determination that our athletes put forth daily in their training, and throughout the season competing at the highest level of sport. This partnership further empowers our athletes to reach above and beyond in their quest to be the Best in the World!”

Land Rover is the maker of the most luxurious and capable SUVs in the world. From the luxurious Range Rover to the versatile Discovery featuring three-row seating, and the recently revealed all-new Defender, the Land Rover lineup of award-winning SUVs is built for adventure in the toughest terrain and weather conditions.

U.S. Ski & Snowboard supports nearly 200 national team athletes and represented 80 percent of Team USA’s gold medals during the PyeongChang 2018 and Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games. This year, U.S. Ski & Snowboard athletes will participate in more than 200 competitions globally, including 35 events in the United States. 

“As Land Rover continues to grow in the U.S. market and we launch models like the new Defender, we are supporting activities such as skiing and snowboarding that resonate with our expanding American customer base,” said Kim McCullough, Vice President, Marketing, Jaguar Land Rover North America. “The athletes of U.S. Ski and Snowboard exemplify ‘Capability with Composure,’ a hallmark of Land Rover. We are proud to support them in their quest to be the premier winter sports team in the world.”

Land Rover and U.S. Ski & Snowboard are committed to providing the best resources for athletes who are inspired to be the best in the world. As part of the sponsorship agreement, Land Rover will support 10 U.S. Ski & Snowboard athlete ambassadors including Olympic gold medallists and World Champions. Throughout the partnership, these athletes will take part in brand milestones, custom content creation, and social media integrations.

The agreement also includes broadcast, social media, and digital promotion rights, custom competition content creation, and email marketing campaigns with the U.S. Ski & Snowboard registered fan base. Land Rover branding will also be seen on the athlete uniforms and team gear, as well as available to consumers through U.S. Ski & Snowboard and Land Rover official branded goods.

The 2019-20 season will kick off October 24 with the U.S. Ski & Snowboard’s 53rd annual New York Gold Medal Gala at the Ziegfeld Ballroom in New York City, followed by the first FIS Alpine World Cup event of the season October 26-27 in Soelden, Austria.

To follow the action throughout the season, follow @LandRoverUSA and @USskiteam.
 

Aerial skier Nicholas Novak (Woodbridge, Va.) has proved to be a natural-born flipper. With eight career podiums on the Nor-Am Cup circuit, 10 World Cup career starts, and a bronze medal at the 2018 U.S. Championships under his belt, Novak is a strong talent on the U.S. Freestyle team. But how did he get to this point?  

The simple answer is that flipping is in his blood. The Novak family has a long history in the flipping and twisting world. His parents, father Jaroslav (or Jadi) and mother Jaroslava (or Jarka), were both national team trampolinists in former Czechoslovakia during the 1980s. Despite their impressive trampoline skills, the Novaks did not get to compete in the Olympic Games due to political issues under Communist rule. “Every country that was under Russia’s control boycotted the games, so my parents never had that Olympic experience,” Nick said. However, the Novaks were still able to travel and compete on the world stage, which helped open their eyes to the rest of the world. “When they had my oldest brother, Lukas, they realized they didn’t want to raise him in Communism and needed to escape.” 

The Novaks joined a traveling circus so they could travel out of the country and ultimately escape Communism. In 1985, after finishing a show in Portugal, an opportunity presented itself and they snuck away from the acrobatic group. With only a few suitcases and a baby, the Novaks escaped to Switzerland where they had family. Unfortunately, due to fear of repercussions, their family was not welcoming. The Novaks then moved to West Germany and worked while they applied for asylum in America. After 10 months of working, the Novaks were accepted into America and made their way to Boston. “It was just my dad, my mom, Lukas, $300 dollars, and a car when my family began their American life,” Nick says, “They didn’t speak English too well, but they got jobs in a gymnastics gym and that skyrocketed them to the path of their life.”  

The Novaks bounced between the United States and Australia for various gymnastics coaching jobs for a few years. But after having another boy, Thomas, Jari Novak finally took a permanent coaching job at Capital Gymnastics in Virginia and the family officially settled there in 1990. Then the go-getter Novak family decided to take another life leap and create their own gym, now known as Novak’s Gymnastics. A few years later, Nick was born. 

“Growing up, both of my brothers and I were high-level gymnasts, simply because we were a gymnastics family. But after some years, we all went on our own paths,” says Nick. Although his brothers switched to different athletic careers, Nick decided to put his gymnastic skills to the test with some of his teammates. “I was just finishing my freshman year of high school when I got recruited into the Elite Aerial Development Program (EADP) in upstate New York. Me and other members of the elite program at Novak’s gymnastics, who are actually still currently my teammates on the national team, moved to upstate New York, my dad got a job as one of the development coaches, and that was the start of both of our aerial career.” 

The spontaneous flip from gymnastics to aerials was a lot for the Novak men, but they were both excited for the opportunities ahead of them. “My whole family loved skiing, but we skied at tiny resorts on the East Coast and I didn’t really realize what skiing really was,” says Nick. “I didn’t know until my first trip out here to Utah. The mountains, the quality of snow, it’s all completely unbelievable.” With Nick’s love for the snowsports mixed with his ability to flip and twist, aerials really were the perfect fit. “I now get to do two things that I really like and combine them together, it's amazing.”  

Nick’s strong background in gymnastics does not go unnoticed on the slopes. The ability to rotate and flip off a jump seems to come naturally to him, and he credits his success as an aerialist to his hard work in his family’s gym. “It’s that gymnastics background that opened the sport to me,” he says. “If I didn’t have that, I wouldn’t have even known what aerial skiing was.” Nick’s gymnastics skills are also a crowd-pleaser while training. “I am always the kid that does the silly tricks. You can see me on the U.S. Ski Team page doing backflips into silly positions.”    

 

 

 

 

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Laying it out to dry. . . . . . #summer #workout #flips #backflip #aerial #aerialskiing #training

A post shared by Nick Novak (@mrnicknovak) on Jun 10, 2018 at 11:39am PDT

Beyond instilling a love for acrobatics, the Novaks taught Nick to value his loved-ones and peers. Nick’s second acrobatics family, the U.S. Aerial Ski Team, keeps him grounded while he strives to reach new, trickier heights. “Obviously the competition and the sport are driving forces, but if I didn’t have such great support and amazing people that surround me, there is no way I would still be doing this sport,” he says. “When it comes to the whole aerial team, everyone is so talented and so supportive. It's a great environment to be in.”  

With a rich family history, a strong gymnast background, and an overall positive outlook on life, Nicholas Novak is an athlete to watch out for this upcoming season. 

 

 

 

 

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@fortnite has nothing on me. . . . . . #backflip #aerial #summer #training #fortnite #fortnitememes #aerial

A post shared by Nick Novak (@mrnicknovak) on Jun 28, 2018 at 4:13pm PDT

Chasing snow around the globe to train on does not always go according to plan. When the U.S. Moguls Team arrived at El Colorado in Chile for a training camp in August, a lack of snow had coaches pivot their program. Originally the Chile camp’s focus was planned as top to bottom run training. But with unseasonably low snowfall for the area this time of year there was not enough snow to build a full course. 

“Basically the only snow that was on the mountain El Colorado gave to us and we made it work,” said Matt Gnoza, head moguls coach for U.S. Ski & Snowboard. “We were able to locate a section against a snow fence that had close to six feet of snow. Skiers’ left or right of our venue, it was very thin cover. But right within our spot, where El Colorado had pushed all of that snow for us, it held up the whole time and we never even hit a rock once.”

Skiing to win a moguls World Cup is not as simple as making it down the fastest (although that helps). Speed counts for only 20% of an athlete’s score - airs and turns make up the other 80%. Putting together a winning package requires practice and refinement of even the smallest of maneuvers. Instead of putting together the whole package, the team focused on a specific piece: entry to and exit from the jump.

“What we’re seeing is more often than not is that where these World Cups are won or lost is this entry and exit from the jump,” said Gnoza. “In camp, athletes were challenged to be clean and smooth as they came through the moguls that we had into the jump, and we also put a big emphasis on landing position and making the first ski move of initiation on the exit of the jump. We were able to take a not so ideal situation without our full course and really narrow our focus down onto a very important piece of the athletes’ runs. I feel like we made some good progress there.”

Low snow aside, the decision to train in Chile had its advantages. While the rest of the moguls world was skiing in Australia, the U.S. took advantage of being the only team on their site. “We wanted to do a little more focused training on certain things that would require the ability to adjust the training site accordingly. In Chile we were able to have control over that,” explained Gnoza.

Chile also provides for a much easier travel scenario. It’s a “quick” 9 hour red-eye flight to Santiago, and in the Eastern time zone. Theoretically, you could go to sleep on the flight, wake up in Chile and be on snow that next day - although the team was not that aggressive and athletes had a day of recovery before training began. 

The team got in all twelve days of scheduled training thanks to perfect weather: sunny and 45 degrees. The warm days put some moisture into the snow, and paired with colder nights, which kept the snow firm, made for excellent bump conditions and the athletes took full advantage. “Every athlete left the camp with one type of grab or another,” said Gnoza. “So everyone has the ability to perform a grab jump, that’s another way they can up their package.” 

“This camp was super successful for me, I made a lot of headway on getting my entire package together,” said newly-named team member Nick Page (Park City, Utah). “I’m more comfortable with skiing into the more difficult tricks and continue to build the fundamentals that I’ve been focusing on with my skiing.

“This was my first time in Chile, it was awesome. I’m so thankful I was able to be there and experience their country. Spending time and getting to know my teammates was terrific. Our coaching staff really went above and beyond to bring us the best training available, and while the conditions were a bit challenging, they made it a great experience where we accomplished a lot.”

“For the little snow we had, we made the best of it,” said Nessa Dziemian (East Hampstead, N.H.) “I actually found it to be perfect training for a late summer camp — firm moguls in and out of a couple of jumps. Training was fun, and I got to work on the new tricks I’m planning on bringing into my run this upcoming season. My favorite part was ending a good day with a breathtaking sunset every night. It was also great to get to know some of our newer teammates better!”

The moguls team will be training at the Utah Olympic Park for the next few weeks before their next on-snow camp in Zermatt, Switzerland as they count down the days until their first FIS World Cup in Ruka, Finland scheduled for December 7. 

“Zermatt should be our first opportunity for a two-air course,” said Gnoza. “So then we can take our isolated entry and exit work and put it both on top and bottom air when we get to Zermatt and start to sew it all together as we build towards December.”